All Week 8-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
Lesson Plans? I don’t need no stinkin’ lesson plans!
It’s Saturday, and I sit down to plan my lessons for the upcoming week. Fortunately, I don’t have a template to use, a place to upload them, or an administrator who even looks at my lesson plans. There is a modicum of dignity left for me as a teacher in that. Sadly, too many teachers […]
I applied to be on the DCPS Chancellor’s teacher cabinet. Should I hold my breath?
I whipped up and out some answers to a few essay questions to apply for a seat on Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s teacher cabinet. I’m copying my answers below. There are three answers pasted together, which is why it might read strangely. Will this get me on? I don’t know. I just wrote how I felt. […]
Yet more evidence that #highered is as gutless as it comes
Can an animal survive without a gut? I mean, perhaps a zombie, leaching off its own filth to survive, part of a nameless, nearly faceless horde hunting for their next hunk of gray matter. Did I spoil your breakfast? In my hometown of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, a private and religious institution, is getting some attention […]
Teacher Educators MUST Reject CAEP! @caepupdates
A few weeks ago it was AACTE that sold us out. This week EdWeek published “Why the New Teacher Ed. Standards Matter“ By Mary Brabeck & Christopher Koch. According to Brabeck and Koch, the new CAEP standards are so damn good that blind acceptance of the standards and compliance is required if teacher education is to ever […]
For District Leaders Considering Adopting the New Orleans “Miracle” Model
New Orleans’ Recovery School District (RSD) is being promoted nationwide as a model of corporate reform “turnaround.” Thus, numerous legislatures, superintendents and school boards across the country are facing the question of whether or not to emulate RSD. In this post, I address school officials who are tempted to believe and adopt the RSD “miracle.” RSD success is a […]
This Sunday at 6PM EST, Diane Ravitch is At the Chalk Face to discuss Reign of Error.
Listen to the show here. I have to get reading.
Merrow Vs. Schneider on New Orleans and Rhee
I don’t blame Merrow for wanting more support and for suggesting that folks reach out to the many media people he mentions. I do blame him for: 1) doing it in such a mewling tone – he’d be more effective to suggest not complain with that “Why aren’t people . . . ” intro that […]
Innovation? No Thank You
There is a problem with really successful people: They tend to believe they are incredibly capable in every field, and that most other people are not. Success is a deluding experience, and if there is anything that innovators are, it is delusional—delusional that being innovative is greater than having field experience or expertise. In education […]
The Indignant Teacher Reviews “Reign of Error”
The “nation’s children are on a train that is headed for a cliff“. This sentence, unobtrusively embedded in the middle of the first chapter of Reign of Error, effectively identifies the main idea of Diane Ravitch’s newest book. Like it’s prequel from 2010, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, Reign of Error serves to warn America […]
SEP 19
Achievement Gap? Nope, parts 1 and 2
The term “achievement gap” is misleading and thus one of the problems with the education reform debate. Please see the following posts addressing why: Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 1 Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 2 Tagged: achievement gap
SEP 18
Jersey Jazzman Reviews “Reign of Error”
Jersey Jazzman Reviews “Reign of Error”. This review really gets to the crux of the education deform paradox, its fundamental contradictions, and what may well be the key chapter in Diane Ravitch’s new book: the inseparable link between outlooks on education and outlooks on the larger society in which it is embedded. And the […]
Influence of the #commoncore in my classroom: None.
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Despite my math books, which I have yet to actually use, being labeled as “Common Core” approved, the Standards really have no impact or effect on my Kindergarten classroom. Now, this tells me two things. One, that the standards are entirely benign and unthreatening, imaginative. Two, that this […]
Do you remember that day when you first heard “no excuses?”
Sexual Abuse Physical Abuse Malnutrition No Health Care Homelessness Some idiots just keep on saying it! No excuses DAMN IT! Follow Tim Slekar on Twitter: @slekar
Click, Click, Boom! Again?
In case you need to know about the number of mass shootings in America, Mother jones has produced the “data.” In case you’ve forgotten here is a small sampling… http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/14/us/california-santa-monica-gunman/index.html Slain Santa Monica gunman John Zawahri left behind a note on his body apologizing for killing his father and his brother and hoping his father’s […]
SEP 17
Gates Money and Common Core– Part IV
This post is a continuation of a series I am writing on Bill Gates’ funding specifically for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In my first post, I examined the Gates bankroll of the CCSS foundation organizations and to both national teachers’ unions and other influential groups. In the second post, I […]
Ron Paul Wants to Abolish Public Schools
While progressives are busy reading (or not reading) Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error, Ron Paul’s anti-progressive, right wing Tea Party folks and followers are reading The School Revolution. I came across a review of this book in The New Republic. What concerns me are the recent discussions and blog posts here and elsewhere about finding common […]
My 8 year old cries foul on testing.
At last week’s school board meeting in my rural Western New York community an excellent discussion on testing occurred, focusing on the use of progress monitoring assessments. Several families, including mine, have made the decision to boycott all assessment that is mandated by federal or state policy. Our district uses a Pearson product called AIMSweb […]
Ravitch Seeks Broad Reforms to End Reign of Error
Reblogged from InterACT: Just in time for its official release tomorrow, I've finished reading an advance copy of Diane Ravitch's new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools. For people who have been following education policy debates long enough and already know that they tend to […]
The Relentless Bully Politics Continues in SC
Superintendent of Education Mick Zais can’t help himself. He is so enamored with his misinformation-as-talking-points that he is willing to visit and shame a high-poverty elementary school. This is the other side of the coin for Zais who has previously visited a so-called high-flying school in order to shame all the other schools. In both cases, […]
SEP 16
Ravitch’s Reign of Error: My Review
In considering my review of education historian Diane Ravitch’s latest book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools, I decided to write with traditional public school teachers in mind as my audience. For one, I am a genuine public school teacher, the kind that makes a career of classroom teaching […]
REVIEW: “Reign of Error,” Ravitch 3.0 | the becoming radical
REVIEW: “Reign of Error,” Ravitch 3.0 | the becoming radical.
George Schmidt’s “The American Federation of Teachers and the CIA”
For those disinclined to the more tiresome and mundane details of the proto-fascists shenanigans of CorpEd, take a break and read a little history. Compelling, still. Tagged: aft, CIA
Dana Woldow: Denying Children Food is Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
Dana Woldow: Denying Children Food is Penny Wise, Pound Foolish Tagged: budget cuts, class, education, neoliberalism, nutrition, poverty, privatization, racism, rdsathene
Tone, Tone, Tone: Prelude to REIGN OF ERROR
As a prelude to Diane’s book and my review to be posted tomorrow, my tone series: http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/tone-pt-1-does-tone-matter-in-the-education-reform-debate/ http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/tone-pt-2-on-hostile-rhetoric-laziness-and-the-education-debate/ http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/tone-pt-3-mirror-mirror/ (new) Tagged: e
SEP 15
The Ravitch Hawks Are Circling: Time To Take Action
Diane Ravitch As most people (at least those following the daily attempts by deformers to crush public schools, teachers unions, and the wills and souls of countless students, teachers, parents, and others who believe in public education and democracy) are aware, Diane Ravitch has a new book being officially released tomorrow: REIGN OF ERROR: The […]
Los Angeles parent-activist sounds off on CCSS
“We had 23 different language groups at my son’s school. How can one common core be relevant to all of these very different people?” — Teresa Sitz, LAUSD Parent-Activist I founded Communities & Families Resisting Proposition 39 Charter Colocations along with several families fighting against the privatization project’s latest ploy, the colocation. While the group was pretty 90026 specific (we
The Reign of Error: My New Activist Handbook
I am currently reading Diane Ravitch’s new book, The Reign of Error. Simply put, it is excellent. Diane has covered all aspects of the privatization of public schools – she clearly articulates how the corporate reformers’ ideas don’t work – while offering research-based solutions which indeed DO work. I began reading the book during a […]
Tone, pt. 2: On “Hostile Rhetoric,” Laziness, and the Education Debate | the becoming radical
Tone, pt. 2: On “Hostile Rhetoric,” Laziness, and the Education Debate | the becoming radical.
Not me. I read it in April.
(My response to Chalkface, PhD’s inability to get beyond page 30 of Ravitch’s Reign of Error.) That book is a weapon. Diane sent me the unpublished manuscript to help inform me on my own corporate reform whistleblower book. I just sent my finished manuscript to my publisher yesterday. Also just finished writing my own review […]
I’m having trouble reading Ravitch’s new book Reign of Error UPDATED
UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION Good discussion below. Perhaps I need to clarify my position. I’ve been engaged in education activism for roughly three, perhaps 3.5 years. I was a college professor for the last four. Higher education wasn’t interested in my activism. AT ALL. It chewed me up and spit me out. Few have any idea […]
The New Three Stooges Coming to Philadelphia
In 2009, the cast included Gingrich, Sharpton, and Bloomberg. Now four years later there is a new cast entertaining audiences across the nation with their post-partisan antics and unending corporate pranks that come at the expense of teachers, children, and parents. The new Three Stooges include the hilarious Michelle Rhee, along with the discredited and […]
@EAGNews surprises no one who even cares about EAG by posting a highly bigoted photo
What precisely is this outfit again, EAG, or what have you? At some point, I heard it was started by some MI trust fund baby. In any event, talk about some cojones on these guys to post that photo, as if it implies some sort of truth about an AL school system. Every major school […]
Tone, pt. 1: Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate? | the becoming radical
Tone, pt. 1: Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate? | the becoming radical.
Understanding the Context for Anti-Cultural Corporatism in Mexico
It takes a while for the real news to get out, but this is must see stuff for understanding the corporate education push in Mexico, which is being supported by Gates and his version of CorpEd Without Borders. Spoiler alert: it’s about corporate-led privatization, ending workers’ rights, imposing a test that requires the poorest village […]
As a UCLA student and SUPE member, I endorse this campaign to halt TFA
As a @UCLA student & @supenational ally, I endorse this campaign to halt @TeachForAmerica #TFA http://t.co/2jWnpbhvm1 pic.twitter.com/uekP064VJr — Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) September 15, 2013 As a UCLA student and a Students United for Public Education (SUPE) member, I endorse this campaign to halt Teach For America’s colonialism and participation in the neoliberal school privatization […]
Trinational Coalition’s statement of support for teachers in Mexico
LETTERS TO THE GOVERNMENT CAN BE SENT TO: LIC. ENRIQUE PEÑA NIETO Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos enrique.penanieto@presidencia.gob.mx LIC. OSORIO CHONG MIGUEL ANGEL Secretario de Estado secretario@segob.mx LIC. CHUAYFFET CHEMOR EMILIO Secretaria de Educación Pública emilio.chuayffet@sep.gob.mx SEND COPIES TO: seccionmexicana.coali@gmail.com Maestra Graciela Rangel de Mic
SEP 14
Joining Forces for Education’s statement on using Broad’s Jaime Aquino’s resignation to push for authentic reforms
First published on LA Schools Matter on September 14, 2013 “Once Broad alumni are working inside the education system, they naturally favor hiring other Broadies, which ups the leverage…” — Sharon Higgins While Los Angeles’ corporate media bemoans scoundrel Jaime Aquino’s resignation, replete with descriptions of tears from fellow Broadyte John Deasy, there are other […]
Another word on those hi-tech, canned reading programs. #edchat #edtech
I just posted, not ten minutes ago, a little slice about a reading consultant visit. But now, I have some other questions and thoughts. So, these and other programs meant to “teach” “reading” require some kind of technology. With budgets as they are, it looks like I’m not going to see my own device. At […]
The next frontier for #TFA? Warrior training in Kenya?
No analysis necessary. But a vomitous story’s out there about some CA white chick who is training to be a Maasai warrior. Here’s her account. Young, white knights? Are you ready? I mean, what the hell does becoming a “warrior” mean? She’s out there for a few months hither and thither doing some cross training. […]
Edushyster reveals him or herself. Nice. My standards, however, remain unchanged.
Friend of At the Chalk Face, Edushyster, revealed herself this week. The unveiling merited coverage from Diane Ravitch. You can learn more about Edushyster’s true identity here. As others do, I always enjoy her contributions. Her writing and satire are excellent. And I’m sure that, without her wit, opponents of corporate reform would lose a […]
Reading consultants model teaching phonics, “hilarity” ensues
I experienced a visit this week from consultant teachers representing a district mandated phonics program. The visit was meant for me to experience its outstanding awesomeness from two awesome experts. I was told that these activities require 30 minutes of my school day. We only had 20 minutes for me to witness the awesome awesomeness […]
Whatever Happened to Scientifically Based Research in Education Policy? | Alternet
Whatever Happened to Scientifically Based Research in Education Policy? | Alternet.